The Sons of the Prophets and the Borrowed Axe Head (6:1-7)

CHAPTER 6

1 And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell before thee is too strait for us. 2 Let us go, we pray thee, to the Jordan, and take thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there, where we may dwell. And he said, Go. 3 And one said, Consent, I pray thee, to go with thy servants. And he said, I will go. 4 And he went with them. And they came to the Jordan and cut down the trees. 5 And it came to pass as one was felling a beam, that the iron fell into the water; and he cried and said, Alas, master, and it was borrowed! 6 And the man of God said, Where did it fall? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither, and made the iron to swim. 7 And he said, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand and took it.

Dothan: Elisha Delivers the Syrian Army up to Israel (6:8-23)

8 And the king of Syria warred against Israel; and he took counsel with his servants, saying, In such and such a place shall be my camp. 9 And the man of God sent to the king of Israel, saying, Beware that thou pass not such a place, for thither the Syrians are come down. 10 And the king of Israel sent to the place which the man of God told him and warned him of, and he was on his guard there. That took place not once, nor twice. 11 And the heart of the king of Syria was troubled because of this thing; and he called his servants, and said to them, Will ye not shew me which of us is for the king of Israel? 12 And one of his servants said, None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber. 13 And he said, Go and see where he is, and I will send and fetch him. And it was told him saying, Behold, he is in Dothan. 14 And he sent thither horses and chariots, and a great host, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 And when the attendant of the man of God rose early and went forth, behold, an army surrounded the city, with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16 And he said, Fear not, for they that are with us are more than they that are with them. 17 And Elisha prayed and said, Jehovah, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see. And Jehovah opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. 18 And they came down to him; and Elisha prayed to Jehovah and said, Smite this nation, I pray thee, with blindness. And he smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha. 19 And Elisha said to them, This is not the way, neither is this the city: follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek. And he led them to Samaria. 20 And it came to pass when they entered into Samaria, that Elisha said, Jehovah, open the eyes of these men that they may see. And Jehovah opened their eyes, and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. 21 And the king of Israel said to Elisha, when he saw them, My father, shall I smite? shall I smite them? 22 And he said, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master. 23 And he prepared a great repast for them, and they ate and drank; and he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

The Siege of Samaria (6:24-33)

24 And it came to pass after this that Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria. 25 And there was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was worth eighty silver-pieces, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung five silver-pieces. 26 And it came to pass as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman to him saying, Help, my lord O king! 27 And he said, If Jehovah do not help thee, whence should I help thee? Out of the threshing-floor, or out of the winepress? 28 And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she said, This woman said to me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to-day, and we will eat my son to-morrow. 29 And we boiled my son, and ate him: and I said to her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him; and she has hidden her son. 30 And it came to pass when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his garments; and he was passing by upon the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh. 31 And he said, God do so, and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall remain on him this day! 32 And Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him. And the king sent a man before him. Before the messenger came to him, he himself said to the elders, Do ye see how this son of a murderer has sent to take away my head? See, when the messenger comes; shut the door, and keep him off with the door: is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him? 33 And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, Behold, this evil is of Jehovah: why should I wait for Jehovah any longer?